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Kavyamimamsa of Rajasekhara (Study)

by Debabrata Barai | 2014 | 105,667 words

This page relates ‘Region of Madhyadesha (central part)� of the English study on the Kavyamimamsa of Rajasekhara: a poetical encyclopedia from the 9th century dealing with the ancient Indian science of poetics and rhetoric (also know as alankara-shastra). The Kavya-mimamsa is written in eighteen chapters representing an educational framework for the poet (kavi) and instructs him in the science of applied poetics for the sake of making literature and poetry (kavya).

Go directly to: Footnotes.

Part 8.8 - Region of Madhyaś (central part)

In this region situated in the middle of the above said four regions. In the ʳܰṇa, Epics, ѲԳܲṛt and 峾ūٰ also speak about this region and all ancient geographers also approved it. In the Kāvyamīmāṃsā, Ჹś󲹰 says that he is not much try to delineate a detailed description of the country, river and mountain of this region since they are very much popular. In the Ā屹ٳٲ refer by ܻⲹԲ’s ٳ󲹰ūٰ and the Ѳⲹ-ś of ѲԳܲṛt described as Գٲī by 屹īⲹ Ჹś󲹰. In this region is extends up to in the eastern side.

Ancient Āⲹ state that the division of direction should be based on Գٲī.

C.f.

vinaśanaprayāgayorgaṅgāyamunayoścāntaramantarvedī (di) |
tadapokṣayā diśo vibhajota� ityācāryā�
|

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Ჹś󲹰: Ch-XVII, Pp- 94

But Ჹś󲹰 says that, in Գٲī, this is based on Mahodaya (or Kanauja), should be used for division of direction.

C.f.

ٲٰ辱 ǻ岹ⲹ� ūīṛtⲹپ 屹īⲹ� |

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Ჹś󲹰: Ch-XVII, Pp- 94

There the some people state that the division of direction is not stable due to the uncertainly of the quarters.

I.e.

aniyatatvāddiśāmaniścito dig岵ḥ� ityeka |

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Ჹś󲹰: Ch-XVII, Pp- 94

There other people holds that the four division of direction i.e.

  1. ʰ峦ī,
  2. 峦ī,
  3. ʰīī and
  4. īī.

But some others state the division of eighteen as:

  1. Իī,
  2. ĀԱī,
  3. 峾ⲹ,
  4. Ѳṛṛپ,
  5. ṇ�,
  6. ⲹⲹ,
  7. ī and
  8. śī.

C.f.

prācyavācīpratīcyudīcya� catasro 徱ś�� ityeke |

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Ჹś󲹰: Ch-XVII, Pp- 94

And,

aindrī, ārre yī, yāmāyā, nar� tī, vāruṇ�, , kauborī, śī cāṣṭau 徱śḥ� ityeke |

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Ჹś󲹰: Ch-XVII, Pp- 95

Therefore, with them adding two more ī and 岵īⲹ, some posit it as ten.

C.f.

brāhmī nāgarīyā ca dve | tābhyā� saha daiśatāḥ� ityapare |

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Ჹś󲹰: Ch-XVII, Pp- 95

Then Ჹś󲹰 agree about all these views and say that whether they are four, eight or ten, there remains no difference. Because the number of direction is within the control of the kavi (poet).

C.f.

sarvamastu, vivakṣāparatantrā hi diśimiyattā�

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Ჹś󲹰: Ch-XVII, Pp- 95

The direction between the two star 侱ٰ and ī constellations is east and in front of it is west. North and south are determined on the basis of the pole star. ī is upwards and 岵īⲹ is downwards, thus the directions are determined.

Then Ჹś󲹰 gives the description of colour of people residing in the different regions, which are also helpful to the poet. The colour of people living in east is ś峾 (glossy-blackish) and the people of southern regions are ṛṣṇa (dark). Western regions peoples are ṇḍ (yellowish white) and the people residing in the north are Gaura (white). Beside those the people of Madhya-ś (central region) are a mixture of ṛṣṇa (dark), (black) and Gaura (white) colours. Ჹś󲹰’s this type of division of colour is generally accepted by most of the kavi (poets).

Rajashekhara’s concepts on Regional distribution of Complexions

[Ჹś󲹰’s concepts on regional distribution of complexions—Gaura (fair); Pāṇḍu (fair); Gaura ś峾 and ṛṣṇa (fair, light-dark and dark); Śyāma (light-dark); Kṛṣṇa (dark)]

In this way we can seems that the geographical concepts of Ჹś󲹰 takes resemblance by the earlier text ʳܰṇa. In the regard of geographical concepts, Ჹś󲹰 has mostly utilized the ܱܰṇa. However, sometimes ʳܰṇa mentions the east but the Kāvyamīmāṃsā mentions this as west. Thus there we found some doubts and dispute on the place of different regions which are refers in the Kāvyamīmāṃsā

In the eighteen chapter of Ჹś󲹰’s Kāvyamīmāṃsā deals with the - (divisions of season) as a part of poetics. In a literary composition or seasons have a great prominence since the time of Vedas. In the ṻ岹 Veda we found that the performer of sacrifice of �Ṛt� means the one who sacrifice at the or Ṛt or seasons. In the ʳܰṣaܰٲ of ṻ岹 Veda described the four seasons i.e. Vasanta, Ұīṣm, Śٲ and ʰ屹ṛḍ. This concept of seasons is connected with the ۲ñ or sacrifice and says, Vasanta is to be the (Shee) for the oblation, Ұīṣm as the fuel and Śٲ as the food offering.

In the Āܰ岹 deal with ṛtܲ in connection of health and behavior. In the sixth chapter ūٰٳԲ of Carakasamhita and Ṛtcaryā in the Śṣrܳٲ󾱳 deal with the seasons, this is very much important.

In classical Sanskrit literature, kavi (poets) are described the various seasons and different seasonal changes in their works. Since the 徱屹ⲹ 峾ⲹṇa, the author ī also describes different seasons in the context of Rasa. Therefore , the great poet of Sanskrit literature was very influenced by the ’s 峾ⲹṇa. Then he devotes one of his work Ṛtsaṃhāra to describe the characteristics of various ṛtܲ or seasons. Out of those, all the poets of any literature does not avoid the characteristics of seasons, they all are directly or indirectly treated about the different season in their writing.

Not only the poet but also the poeticians are recognized the importance and characteristic of different seasons in their works and also advices to the poet that to described the seasons in their works. Āⲹ Bharatamuni in the twenty-fifth chapter of his ٲⲹśٰ relates the ṛtܲ or seasons with the description of sṛṅgāra rasa. There he includes the six-seasons in the themes for abhinaya or composite acting.

Then 屹ⲹ岹ś ٲṇḍ says that the description of seasons is important characteristic for the Ѳ屹ⲹ.

C.f.

ԲṇaśṛtܳԻǻ岹ⲹṇaīⲹ�

- Kāvyādarśa of ٲṇḍ: I/16

Āⲹ Bhojarāja in the four chapter of his ṛṅ첹ś deal with the matter of or ṛt and 岵󲹳ٲ follows the method of Śśūٲ to describe the different ṛt or seasons. In there the concept of Ṛtsandhi is very much interesting. Āⲹ ṭiⲹ does not miss about this tradition, who deals in his ٳśٰ with or seasons with its divisions in a scientific way. Here Āⲹ 屹īⲹ Ჹś󲹰 possibly seems to the influenced by him on the matter of or seasons.

In the Kāvyamīmāṃsā, Ჹś󲹰 describes the concepts of time or seasons with applying the various sciences and astronomy. In the beginning of -岵 chapter, Ჹś󲹰 divided the or time into two i.e. ṣṭ and ṣa to follow the ṭiⲹ’s divisions of .

The śǰ첹 of the Kāvyamīmāṃsā about the various divisions of seasons bears a similar resemblance with ܱܰṇa;

ṣṭ nimeṣ� 岹ś pañcaicava triṃśacca ṣṭ� kathitā� kaleti |
triṃśatkalaścaiva bhavenmuhurttastaistriṃśatā rātryahanī samete || �

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Ჹś󲹰: Ch-XVIII, Pp- 98

Fifteen Ծṣa makes one ṣṭ, thirty ṣṭs makes one , thirty s makes one ܳūٲ and thirty ܳūٲs consists a day and night.

However the time is boundless for convenience but we can divide it in carious way of fifteen-Ծṣa. This divisions of also approved by the all the people from ancient to present times.

In the two months of Caitra and ś, the days and night are an equal rate that is fifteen of ܳūٲs are for days and fifteen of ܳūٲs for night.

After the Caitra month, in the ղś to three months there is an increase of one ܳūٲ each for everyday and month, the night gets shorter. This is in the reverse order for the next three months. From the ś month the day and night becomes equal and after this for next three months the opposite cycle starts. In this time the night get longer and the days shorter.

In the transition of sun from one �ś� or sign of the Zodiac into another is called a month.

There are the two �Ayanas� (solstices) divided a years:�

  1. The ٲṣiṇҲԲ (southern solstice), the six month period following to the rain season and
  2. The ٳٲⲹṇa (northern solstice), the next six month following to the winter season.

In this way the two �Ayanas� constitute the ṃvٲ (solar-year).

In fifteen days and nights constitutes a ʲṣa or fortnight. In this ʲṣa the moon increases in Śܰ-ʲṣa and when the darkness increases thus it is called Kṛṣṇa-ʲṣa. The Vedic rituals and rites are performed in the Śܰ-ʲṣa and parental rituals performed in the Kṛṣṇa-ʲṣa. In this way the two-ʲṣa constitute one month, two months makes one ṛt (season) and the six (seasons) ṛt make a lunar year.

Here it is noticeable that, astronomers think that the year begins from the Caitra month and ancient tradition believe that the year start with the month of Ś屹Բ. But Ჹś󲹰 posits concepts is different from them and he is there much influenced to the seasonal concepts of ղٳٰīⲹ-ṃh and discusses the different concepts and characteristics of seasons[1].

The six-seasons that constitute a solar-year are:

  1. ղṣ� (rainy season), it includes the months of Ś屹Բ and ;
  2. Śٲ (autumn season), it includes the months of ĀśԲ and پ첹;
  3. Hemanta (dewy season), it includes the month of ⲹṇa and ʲṣa;
  4. Śś (winter season), it includes the months of and ʳܲԲ;
  5. Vasanta (spring season), it includes the months of Chitra and ղś and
  6. ṛīṣ (summer season), it included the months of ṣṭ and Āṣād.

However Ჹś󲹰 mentions the [following Vedic terms of twelve month in the connection with each ṛtܲ or seasons and he follows the Vedic order.] i.e.

  1. Nabha,
  2. Nabhasya,
  3. ṣa,
  4. Urja,
  5. Saha,
  6. Sahasya,
  7. Tapa,
  8. Tapasya,
  9. Madhu,
  10. 󲹱,
  11. Śܰ and
  12. Śܳ.

C.f.

tatra Բ Բ󲹲ⲹś ṣāḥ, iṣa ūrjaśca ś, 󲹲ⲹś 𳾲Գٲ�,
tapastapasyaśca śiśira�, madhurmādhavaśca vasanta�, śukta� śuciśca grīṣma�

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Ჹś󲹰: Ch-XVIII, Pp- 99

In the ղṣ� (rainy-season) the eastern-wind flows believe the poets.

Thus in his վǰśīⲹ described the waves the crest of peacocks watching the fast moving rain clouds as:

ālokayati payedān prabalapurovātatāḍitaśikhaṇḍa� |
ke kāgarbheṇa śiravo dūronnamitena kaṇṭhena || �

- վǰśīⲹ of : Ch-IV/ 8

But the ancient 峦ⲹ does not agree with this and argue that the western wind blows in rainy season and eastern winds oppose it.

C.f.

pāścātya� paurastyastu pratihantā� ityācāryā� |

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Ჹś󲹰: Ch-XVIII, Pp- 99

But Ჹś󲹰 does not agree with this view and accepts the first. In the Śś (winter season) blows the eastern wind and the Śٲ (autumn season) there is no fixed direction of winds. In the Hemanta- (dewy season) and Śś (winter) both eastern and northern winds are generally blows. Therefore in the Vasanta (spring season) blows the southern wind and the ṛīṣ (summer season) both south and eastern winds are blows. In this way after describing the different characteristics of winds of various seasons Ჹś󲹰 take his concentration into the details discussion of different six-seasons.

Footnotes and references:

[back to top]

[1]:

Taittriyasaṃhitā: I/ IV/ 14. Ed. By. N.S. Santakke and T.M. Dharmadhikari, Vaidika Sahsodhana Mandala, Poona.1970

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